Years ago when, I first became a dietitian, I often told people, “When you think you are hungry, it may actually be thirst, so see if a drink of water helps first”. That was a perfect example of my biased and diet-focused education hard at work. This advice is straight up wrong. If I ever said this to you, I apologize.
Instead of suggesting to just try water first, a better suggestion might be to try to get in touch with the nuanced feelings of both. Not everyone can differentiate between the two, especially after years of dieting and restrained eating. When we have lost touch with our body and for years used external cues to decide when and what to eat, our ability to notice or recognize hunger can be dampened. If this sounds familiar, some more appropriate guidance may be: pay attention to how you feel the next time you know you are thirsty and the next time you know are hungry. Start journaling your body’s nuanced signs and signals of both (they are there, you just need to pay attention to and discover them).
You may notice when you are really thirsty or really hungry, you get a slight headache or have trouble concentrating. You may notice when you are really thirsty, you think more about water, versus being really hungry, when you think more about food. When you are thirsty you may notice more dryness in your mouth, versus when you are hungry you may notice a stomach emptiness and growling/slight belly pain. Your body likely has unique signs of both, so take the time to find and appreciate them.
My son Cameron. He is actually ALWAYS thirsty!
If you think you might be hungry, a better thing to do would be to think about the last time you ate, and what it was. If it was recently (within 1-2 hours), was it enough? Was it satisfying? Did it satiate you? Was there a good mix of protein, fat, and (importantly) carbohydrate? If not, you may truly still have hunger that needs satiated. If it was more than 3-4 hours ago, remember our bodies need nourished, generally speaking, every 3-5 hours. If you are noticing hunger signals, that’s your body doing its job.
The next time you tell yourself you must be thirsty, not hungry, just remember that needs a little more exploring. While it may be true that you just need water, don’t always assume that’s the case (even if your dietitian suggested it!).
